# volunteer

/ˌvɑɫənˈtɪɹ/ (US) · /vˌɒləntˈiə/ (UK)

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/volunteer
Updated: 2026-06-19

## Senses

### 1. unpaid worker

noun · CEFR B1

someone who does a job or helps others because they want to, without being paid.

For teachers: a person who performs a service willingly and without financial compensation.

- The local library relies on volunteers to help organize the books every weekend.
- The charity is seeking volunteers to assist with the distribution of emergency supplies in the affected regions.

### 2. military

noun · CEFR B2

a person who joins the army because they want to, not because the law forces them to.

For teachers: an individual who enters military service of their own volition rather than through conscription.

- He joined the army as a volunteer before the draft even started.
- Historically, the regiment was composed entirely of volunteers who provided their own equipment and horses.

### 3. botany

noun · CEFR C2 · Technical

a plant that grows on its own without a person planting it there.

For teachers: a plant that grows spontaneously in a garden or field from self-sown seed rather than being intentionally cultivated.

- That tomato plant in the middle of the path is just a volunteer from last year.
- The farmer decided to leave the volunteer sunflowers growing among the soy crops as they didn't interfere with the harvest.

### 4. to offer help

verb · CEFR B1

to offer to do something without being asked or forced.

For teachers: to offer oneself or one's services for a task or mission spontaneously.

- I decided to volunteer for the clean-up crew after the school festival.
- Several staff members volunteered to work through the weekend to ensure the project met its Monday deadline.

### 5. to give information

verb · CEFR B2

to give information or an opinion without being asked for it.

For teachers: to provide information, an excuse, or an idea unprompted.

- She volunteered the information about the missing keys before the manager even asked.
- During the interview, the candidate volunteered several details about his previous experience that weren't included in his CV.

### 6. to sign someone else up

verb · CEFR B2 · Informal · Humorous

to suggest that someone else should do a task, often without asking them first.

For teachers: to nominate another person for a task or duty, typically in an informal or humorous context.

- My brother volunteered me to drive everyone to the airport at 4:00 AM.
- The department head jokingly volunteered his deputy to lead the committee, much to the latter's surprise.

## Examples

- She works as a volunteer at the local animal shelter.
- The charity is looking for a volunteer to help manage their social media accounts during the summer.
- While the garden was carefully planned, several volunteer tomato plants emerged from the compost, eventually outperforming the varieties that the landscapers had specifically selected for the season.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.